Author's Note: So as some of you know I was getting feedback about keeping Love Behind Bars a BRULIAN fic or rewriting it and making it BRUCAS. Well after reading all of your feedback (thank you again, by the way) I have to decided to do some edits and keep it BRULIAN. So for all you BRUCAS fans I'm working on two stories in it's place. This one (Ghosts That We Knew) and Thinking of You. Both are BRUCAS endgame. So enjoy. :-)

Summary: Six months ago Lucas Scott was convicted of murdering his wife Lindsey. Her younger sister Brooke stumbles upon some evidence that might prove Lucas couldn't have possibly killed her because Lindsey Davis Scott is alive and well. Will Brooke be able to help Lucas get his conviction overturned or will he spend the rest of his life in prison for a crime he didn't commit.. AU Story with OTH characters.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything OTH, I own this story though. ;-)

Ghosts That We Knew

"Miss Davis, can you tell us about your sister's relationship with the defendant Mr. Scott?" The prosecutor Marvin McFadden asked.

"Lucas and my sister were married." Brooke said, unable to break eye contact. She knew if she looked at Lucas she might jump out of witness box and strangle him with the chains he was shackled to.

Marvin continued, "How long were they married before your sister's disappearance?"

"A little over three years." Brooke said.

"Did you sister ever mention any marital problems?" Marvin paced the courtroom galley.

Brooke blinked back tears, "She told me a few months before she disappeared that she was having an affair with their garden Nick Chavez."

Lucas's attorney Jimmy Edwards stood up, "Objection your honor, hearsay."

Marvin and Jimmy approached the judge's bench, "Your honor," Marvin spoke, "Brooke and Lindsey Davis were incredibly close growing up. With that being said, it is the opinion of the state that this testimony be admissible. Nick Chavez already testified to his relationship with the deceased."

The judge ruled, "Step back gentleman, I'll allow it. Objection overruled."

Brooke's eyes met Lucas's. She could see the pain behind his familiar blue eyes, Marvin stepped in her immediate line of vision. "Miss Davis after your sister told you about the affair she was engaged in with Mr. Chavez did you notice a difference in Lucas Scott's demeanor?"

Jimmy stood up again, this time before Brooke could answer, "Objection your honor, Miss Davis is not a behaviorist, that question calls for speculation."

The judge turned to Marvin, "Mr. McFadden?"

Marvin buttoned his jacket, "Your honor Miss Davis has known Mr. Scott her entire life we feel that qualifies her as an expert witness on Mr. Scott's overall demeanor after Lindsey revealed her affair."

The judge nodded, "I'll allow it Mr. McFadden but tread lightly."

Brooke felt Lucas's eyes on her again, she looked over in his direction on saw him whispering into the ear of the second chair attorney. Marvin once again stepped into Brooke's line of site. "Miss Davis, do you need me to repeat the question?"

Brooke shook her head, "No. I noticed Lucas drinking heavily a few days after Lindsey told me about Nick. She told me that she thought Lucas's knew about her indiscretion. When I saw them a month later Lucas was disheveled and picked a fight with his brother at his nephew's birthday party."

Marvin walked back to the prosecutor's table closest to the jury, "How long was it after your sister told you about her affair that she went missing?"

Brooke felt fresh tears stream down her face, "Two months later, we were supposed to meet for a 6am spin class and she never showed up."

Marvin grabbed a clear exhibit bag, containing a cellular phone, from the table, "Miss Davis did you contact the defendant when you couldn't reach your sister?"

"Yes, I left him a voice mail." Brooke knew what was coming next, she held her breath as she listened for the next question.

"You're honor we would like to submit into evidence the message Mr. Scott left on Miss Davis's voice mail twelve hours after her sister's disappearance." Marvin brought the evidence bag to the judge's box.

"So submitted, now known as People's number 71." The judge wrote on the bag and handed the bag to the court reporter.

Marvin queued up the recording on the cassette player sitting on the small table in front of the witness box where Brooke was sitting. He pressed play: Brooke you tell that slut sister of yours that I've spoken to my attorneys and I need to know where to send the divorce papers. Very funny pretending she's missing, did you check with Nick, (audible laugh). She didn't think I knew about that, oh but I did. Brooke you explain to that bitch that if I don't hear from her soon there will be consequences. "Miss Davis, do you recognize the voice on the recording?"

Brooke felt her skin grow hot, all she could think about was Lindsey, "Yes." She almost whispered into the microphone in front of her.

"And who's voice is it Miss Davis?" Marvin asked, trying to engage her to look at him.

"It was Lucas Scott," Brooke choked.

Marvin went back to his table, "Miss Davis, just one more question. When was the last time you saw your sister?"

Brooke let out the breath she was still trying to hold in. Her chest now throbbing in pain, "At the coroners office. Three months after her disappearance a partially decomposed body washed ashore in Balboa Harbor." She looked at Lucas, "I was tasked with identifying her body."

Marvin followed up, "Were you able to identify your sister Lindsey Davis-Scott's body that day?"

"No, the coroner said her body had been in the harbor too long. I had to provide a DNA sample and a copy of Lindsey's dental records." Brooke broke down and began to sob.

Lucas had been doing everything he could to keep himself together watching Brooke cry over the loss of her sister was too much for him, "Brooke you know me, you know I didn't do this."

The judge clanged her gavel, "Mr. Edwards silence your client or I'll be forced to hold him in content of court."

Lucas continued to stare at Brooke, ignoring the judge's words, "I loved Lindsey, you know that. I'm innocent! I'm innocent Brooke!"

The judge banged her gavel down harder, "Enough Mr. Scott, bailiff get him out of my courtroom."

The bailiff grabbed Lucas and started dragging him outside, "Brooke! Brooke look at me god dammit! You know me! You know me!"

*Six Months Later*

"You're really going to that creepy house alone?" Rachel said into the receiver.

Brooke pulled into the driveway, "I don't have a choice. The police finally signed off on me entering the premises. I called Karen and she asked if I would just pack up anything of Lucas's that I thought she would want."

Rachel let out an uncomfortable laugh, "You are a better person than I would ever be. You called the mother of the man that was convicted of murdering your only sister and asked if she wanted you to box up his stuff."

"It isn't like that Rachel and you know it. Our families were close, it's complicated." Brooke took the keys out of the ignition and opened the drivers side door. "I need to gather up all the personal effects before the movers come and remove the furniture. The Realtor wants to have an open house in 3 weeks. We're going with way below market, so it should sell quickly."

"Not if he murdered Lindsey there," Rachel said, "Jesus, Brooke I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

Brooke frowned and got out of the car, "It's alright Rach, I know you can't help yourself sometimes. I need to go though, I'm not sure if the electricity is still on and I don't want to be here after dark."

"Why didn't you just call Chase, I'm sure he would have come over and helped you?" Rachel volunteered.

Brooke scoffed, heading up towards the house, "Yeah, let me call the guy I just started dating and tell him to come with me to the murder house. It's incredible he didn't take off for the hills as soon as he found out who I was."

"There's something about this one, I think he's special." Rachel made kiss noises.

Brooke put the keys into the front door, "I need to go Rach, I'll talk to you when I get home."

Two hours later Brooke picked up her phone and called Nathan, Lucas's younger brother. He picked up on the second ring, "What can I do for you Davis?"

"I packed up all of Luke's stuff, your mother said she wanted it. Do you mind coming by and collecting the boxes for her. They aren't going to fit in my mini cooper and I know my dad isn't going to want to bring them over." Brooke closed her eyes and crossed her fingers, 'please say yes' she willed.

"Alright, I'll be right there." Nathan said hanging up the phone.

Brooke sat down on the porch with a box of family pictures and waited for Nathan. She would never admit this out loud but she missed the Scott family. She missed Karen and Keith, they had always been like her unofficial set of parents. "That happens when you live next door to people from the time you're three." She said aloud, she missed Nathan and Haley. Her and Nathan had gone to school together since preschool. She met Haley in the third grade and they were inseparable till Nathan developed feelings for Haley. Then Brooke became the third wheel. She smiled at the thought, she missed Jamie, her god son. She looked at some other pictures when she reached a stack of letters written in what appeared to be Portuguese.

*Flashback*

"Linds," Brooke called out, her sister came out of the room wearing a small string bikini, "I found your letters, what are you doing?"

"Nothing," She narrowed her eyes at her sister. She stood and looked at herself in the full length mirror, "Chris and I are just friends."

"Does your fiance know you still talk to Chris Keller?" Brooke folded her arms across her chest.

"Jesus, Brooke don't be such a buzz kill," Lindsey retied her bikini top, "I know you've had a hard on for Lucas since we were kids but I am your sister. You should try looking out for me for a change."

"I don't like Lucas, I just think you shouldn't marry him if you and Chris are still seeing each other." Brooke sighed and headed to her dresser and found the swim suit she was planning on wearing.

"It's only been a few letters, it's nothing serious." Lindsey kinked her eyebrow and hissed, "He's down in South America now, so just drop it." Brooke shook her head, Lindsey grabbed her arm, "Fine suit yourself tell Lucas, he won't believe you anyway."

*End Flashback*

"Brooke?" Nathan said again.

Brooke looked up and wiped her eyes, "I'm sorry Nathan I don't know where I was just now." Brooke stuffed the letters back into the box.

"Probably wondering how we all fucking got here," He sat down on the footstool in front of her. "I get it, I've been asking myself why I didn't see it? Luke was always so buttoned up and put together, I should have noticed him spiraling out of control."

Brooke put her hand on Nathan's, "It's not your fault," Brooke's mind wouldn't leave those letters so she told herself to wrap this up quickly. "None of us saw this being the end result, I didn't think they'd stay together forever but I never thought..." she stopped herself.

"My brother would murder your sister." Nathan patted her hand and stood up, he scanned the covered porch, "What are you doing, auditioning for sainthood? Why would you agree to do this and by yourself no less. You should have called Haley and I would have..."

"No you wouldn't have," Brooke interrupted, "I used to see you guys all the time, I've hardly seen you since Luke got sentenced."

"Can you blame me Davis?" Nathan huffed, "All the legal analysts said your testimony cemented Luke's fate. I was mad and I couldn't take it out on him. He needed me, still does." Nathan stacked three boxes on top of each other, "You know they've had to keep him in solitary confinement because they received several credible threats on his life."

Brooke put her heads in her hands, 'come on Nathan I need to finish looking at these letters,' she said to herself before responding, "Doesn't that happen whenever there's a high profile prisoner locked up?"

Nathan walked the boxes to his truck that was parked behind Brooke's car, "Who knows Davis, I know he's attracted all kinds of prison groupies. Lucas Scott ex NBA star sent away for life for popping his old lady I guess is a turn on for some women."

Brooke grabbed a box and headed to the truck, "I was thinking about going to see him, do you think he would see me?"

Nathan laughed, "I doubt it." He pushed another two boxes into the truck and engaged the tailgate. "Thank you again for doing this, you're one tough chick Davis, I don't think I've told you that lately." He pulled her in for a hug, "It's time for us to start healing as a family," he kissed her forehead, "what do you say? You feel like coming over this weekend? Jamie misses you."

Brooke wasn't sure if it was Nathan's words or Lindsey's letters that got to her but she started to sob into his chest, "You have no idea what that means to me right now Nathan."

"Shhhh..." Nathan rubbed her back, "Let me help you put the rest of this shit in the garage. Then I'm going to follow you home."

"Alright," Brooke said wiping her tears. She turned towards the house, "I've been here for several hours and I didn't cry once, you've been here fifteen minutes and I'm sobbing like an idiot." She pinched him, "Thanks hot shot."

Brooke sat at her kitchen table staring at the stack of letters and a glass of untouched red wine. She was confused by what she found written in the letters. "Are these what set Lucas off?" she wondered aloud, "No I found these in Lindsey's super secret hiding spot," she reasoned, "there's no way Lucas found them." She spun one of the envelopes in her hand, it was postmarked eleven months ago. "The date was a week before Lindsey disappeared."

She heard the door open and Chase came in. "Hi Brooke," he said with a smile. He put down his motorcycle helmet then sat down in the chair across from her. "What is all this?"

"Lindsey," Brooke groaned, she looked at him and smiled at his appearance, he was still wearing his hospital scrubs. "Would you like something to eat, I can heat something up for you?"

Chase took a sip of the wine, "that's good." He stood up, "I'll get something in a minute. So how was it today?"

Brooke pondered, "It was productive, I think I'll need to go over there for a few hours tomorrow but that's it. How was your shift?"

"Long, thanks for letting me crash here while I'm on this rotation. The bed in your spare room is a lot better than the cots at the hospital." Chase grabbed the wine glass and took another gulp before heading into the kitchen, "I could go with you tomorrow if you want? I don't have a shift I'm just on call, I don't mind."

"Thanks," Brooke said with a smile, "But I think it would be weird, it's almost too much for me. No need to inflict that stuff on you. Do you still want me to go with you apartment hunting?"

"Yes, does that cut into what you need to do at the house?" He asked as he pressed a series of buttons on the microwave. "If so we can go next week."

Brooke shook her head, "Tomorrow is fine." She stopped spinning the letter, "When you were in South America with Doctors Without Borders did you go anywhere that spoke Portuguese?"

"Sim," Chase replied with a smile.

"Does that mean yes?" Brooke questioned.

Chase nodded, "Why the sudden interest in Portuguese?"

"No interest really, I was just wondering about something written on this sheet of paper." Brooke shrugged, "according to the date on the postmark Lindsey would have gotten it less than a week before she disappeared. There was a few sentences written in Portuguese and nothing else."

Chase sat next to her, "Well give it here if you want it translated." Brooke handed him the little piece of paper. "Até que eu estou com você de novo do meu coração. Eu permaneço para sempre seu," he recited. "Till I am with you again my heart, I remain forever yours." Chase sat back in his chair, confusion registering on his face, "Is that something Lucas wrote to her? Why would he know Portuguese, when was he in Brazil?"

Brooke started to feel tears forming in her eyes, "Luke doesn't speak Portuguese, he wasn't in Brazil."

The confusion continued, "I don't understand, who is this from then?"

Brooke let out a deep breath, "Lindsey's old boyfriend Chris Keller."

So... Thoughts? I know I have a lot of stories going on right now. Starting another one is probably not the greatest idea I ever came up with, but writing is so much fun. I promise to keep up with them all. :)

Review, review, review!

Thanks!

-Krystal